Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas The NERC-Oxford DTP in Environmental Research is a four-year DPhil programme which offers a novel training environment across three broad science streams. Researchers in the DTP work across disciplines and at the cutting edge of environmental research, to advance knowledge and find solutions to pressing environmental challenges in collaboration with outside partners. You will carry out your research project in one of eight departments after an initial training period. During the first two terms, you will have access to a training programme during which you will have the opportunity to develop your research skills and acquire an understanding of how researchers in other disciplines operate, while also writing your own research proposal in collaboration with your supervisor(s) and in many cases an external partner. You will either be recruited to a research stream or to a pre-determined project, but in either case you will begin your course based with the DTP. You will be offered training in 'hard' skills such as mathematics, programming and scientific computing, as well as being offered a broad-brush understanding of the Earth system across all disciplines of the DTP. There will also be course modules in softer transferable skills such as project design, proposal writing, communication and problem solving to underpin the exploration of research methodologies. Elective training will continue throughout the degree and you will be able to select from a portfolio of advanced training courses to create your own tailored training programme. Later in the course, modules will include thesis writing and paper writing. You will remain a member of the DTP even after transferring out to a department. Supervision The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Doctoral Training Partnership and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Doctoral Training Partnership. The DTP strongly advises students to have at least two supervisors to ensure a good level of support both pastorally and academically. For some projects it may be beneficial to seek supervision across two or more departments to support different aspects of the project. Departments have differing guidelines on how often students meet with their supervisors (this will probably vary through the project, and may also depend on the area of research), and we recommend that students establish a routine at an early stage in their project development.